Coleman Canada champions movement to make July 17th National Get Outside Day
TORONTO, June 3, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, Coleman Canada launched Get Outside Day, a movement to encourage the Canadian government to declare Friday, July 17th a national holiday, giving Canadians more time to enjoy our country's great outdoors. As a nation defined by its landscape, Coleman Canada was shocked to find out that that almost two thirds of Canadians (63 per cent) spend less than two hours per week outside doing recreational activities.i Getting outside is important for optimal health and is integral to our national identity. With many Canadians citing lack of time as a barrier to getting outside, now more than ever, we need to take time to get outside, and what better way to achieve this than to demand the time to do so?
"This country used to be made up of explorers, voyageurs, adventurers – discovering the true north, strong and free, but unfortunately it seems we've become a nation of insiders," said Ezio Sbrizzi, President, Coleman Canada. "Last year, we at Coleman Canada began an important initiative. A movement dedicated to encouraging Canadians to make the time to get outside, and as Canada's Outdoor Company, we felt it was our duty to rally Canadians to find the great outdoors again. This year, we're taking the Get Outside Day movement to Parliament Hill with a petition – with an ask of all politicians to support Canadians experiencing our great outdoors by making July 17th a national holiday."
In a study dedicated to determining the attitudes and behaviours Canadians have around spending recreational time outdoors, almost half of respondents (49 per cent) agreed that their work was the main barrier and 46 per cent indicated that their busy and personal family schedules also act as an obstacle to getting outside.i Recognizing barriers continue to persist, Coleman is determined to bring the national attention needed to this issue in an effort to remove the barriers so that all Canadians can get outside, together. By calling on the support of all Canadians, Coleman wants to reaffirm the commitment of Canadians to get outside, and be that catalyst for change.
"As a doctor, I've seen first-hand how the constant stress and demands of day-to-day life can negatively impact people's emotional and physical health," said Dr. Dina Kulik, paediatrician and emergency medicine doctor. "Spending time outdoors offers enumerable benefits to our overall wellbeing and I'm concerned people aren't able to find the time to do so. It's an important part of a healthy lifestyle for children and adults. It's not just exercise, but the time and experiences we share with friends and family which has a positive impact."
Getting outside doesn't need to be complicated or difficult, and Coleman wants to help provide Canadians with tips and ideas of what they can do throughout the year to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether it is going camping at a provincial park, having a picnic in the park, hosting a backyard BBQ, or getting out on the water in a canoe, there are a multitude of ways Canadians can explore what our country has to offer.
"When Family Day was first introduced as a holiday Canadians were skeptical. Do we really need this? Now it has become an important day. A day where commitments and plans are made to spend quality time together with your family," said Sbrizzi. "We want the same for Get Outside Day. A national reminder for Canadians to make the time to throw open the doors and get out there – to explore, to voyage, to venture outside. "
To learn more about Get Outside Day and Coleman's efforts to make July 17 a national holiday, please visit www.getoutsidecanada.com. To share your photos, videos and/or comments, please visit @getoutsideday and Coleman Canada and use the #GetOutsideDay hashtag.
About Coleman Canada
As an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, The Coleman Company, Inc., helps people have fun and make memories by providing the gear integral to their favorite outdoor experiences. The company's products include its legendary lanterns and stoves, as well as coolers, tents, sleeping bags, airbeds, backpacks, furniture, and grills under its Coleman®, Exponent® and Campingaz® brands. The company also provides flotation devices, towables, rainwear, waders, hunting and fishing gear, and safety and survival equipment under its Stearns®, Sevylor®, Sospenders®, Hodgman®, Nevin®, Helium® and Mad Dog Gear® brands. Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation and can be found online at www.colemancanada.ca.
About Jarden Corporation
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer products with a portfolio of over 120 trusted, quality brands sold globally. Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, AeroBed®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, Invicta®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, PENN®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Völkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Breville®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®, Lifoam®, Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex®, Tigex® and Yankee Candle®. Headquartered in Florida, Jarden ranks #383 on the Fortune 500 and has over 30,000 employees worldwide. For further information about Jarden, please visit www.jarden.com.
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i Coleman Canada Outdoor Report, May 2014
SOURCE Coleman Canada
Video with caption: "Video: Coleman is calling on the support of all Canadians - Canadian media, Canadian officials and Coleman partners to urge the government to declare July 17th a holiday -- National Get Outside (G.O.) Day, because who wouldn’t want another day to Get Outside? Sign the petition now at: http://getoutsidecanada.com/". Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ahueojhMFQ
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